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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · wound · bowl · stand · wake · coach · suit · wax

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. suit — in cards
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. suit — to fit
  9. tear — from crying
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. tear — to rip
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. suit — clothes
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. wake — a trail
  22. stand — to bear
  23. wax — to grow
  24. stand — for spectators

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com